Daelman’s Stroopwafels is now available in about 6,000 Walgreens stores, a year after European snack importer The Brand Passport introduced it to the US market.

The jumbo caramel stroopwafel duo pack retails for $1.59 and is located in the checkout aisle at the registers.

According to Brand Passport's CEO Tom Daly, stroopwafels were barely heard of in the US a few years ago. The products only became popular after Brand Passport scored a partnership with United Airlines.

However, Brand Passport declined to comment on whether the recent passenger-dragging incident on a United Airlines flight will affect its sales, but did note the product has also been sold on Frontier Airlines since last year.

US palates go global​

“I think [Walgreens] understands that millennials are fond of products that are simple and do not contain anything artificial,”​ he added. “Consumers are also looking for things that are new, and the American palate is continuing to grow and to become more global.”​

For example, European snacks are becoming more popular with US consumers in recent years, according to multiple tradeshows such as Summer Fancy Food Show​​ and Snaxpo.​

Brand value, positioning and packaging also play a role in determining whether a product will attract consumer impulse purchasing, said Daly said.

“If you have the ability to put the product in context the way Daelmans has by featuring it [on the package] on top of a coffee cup, that’s a great strength… There are not many products like Daelmans Stroopwafels that have such a unique way to use it.”​

Capturing impulse purchase​

“I [notice] that we've [been placed] are on the shelf next to M&M’s,”​ Daly said.

Although Daelmans Stroopwafels does not see M&M’s as a direct competitor - as it's a combination of confection and biscuit, “from a shelf space perspective, we’re competitive in that sense,” ​he added.

Brand Passport is expanding the US distribution for Daelmans Stroopwafels’ chocolate caramel flavor, as well as launching waffle crisps brand, Belgian Butters.